According to a study, participants adhering to an intermittent fasting diet treatment experienced 100% diabetes remission determined by an HbA1c level of under 6.5% a minimum of 1 year after giving up medication for diabetes.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnab027
Intermittent fasting diets have recently become popular as an effective method for losing weight. Meals are only eaten during a certain window of time when fasting intermittently.
Fasting for a specific number of hours every day or eating only 1 meal 2 or 3 days each week can help the body burn fat. Studies have shown intermittent fasting can help reduce heart disease and diabetes risk.
According to the researchers, type 2 diabetes isn’t necessarily a permanent, lifelong condition. Diabetes remission is possible if affected individuals lose weight by modifying their exercise and dieting habits.
This study reveals that intermittent fasting can help with diabetes remission in individuals who have type 2 diabetes, and these results could have a significant impact on the over 537 million individuals around the world who suffer from the condition.
The researchers carried out an intermittent fasting diet treatment over 3 months in 36 diabetic individuals and discovered that approximately 90% of them, which included individuals taking insulin and blood sugar-lowering medications, reduced their intake of diabetes medication after fasting intermittently.
About 55% of these individuals achieved diabetes remission, stopped their medication for diabetes, and maintained it for no less than 1 year.
The results of the study challenge the traditional viewpoint that only individuals with a shorter diabetes duration of between 0 and 6 years can achieve diabetes remission. About 65% of the individuals participating in the study who experienced diabetes remission had a 6 to 11-year diabetes duration.
The researchers point out that medications for diabetes are expensive and an obstacle for many individuals who are attempting to manage their diabetes effectively. The study found that medication costs were reduced by 77% in individuals with diabetes following intermittent fasting.
